ALBION finished with nine men and nothing to show for a mighty effort against in-form Bournemouth at The Hawthorns, going down 2-1 courtesy of Charlie Daniels' 87th-minute penalty.

The Baggies played with 10 men from the 34th minute when James McClean got his marching orders for a late challenge on Adam Smith.

The hosts hung on until half-time and after falling behind to a 52nd-minute goal from Smith, pulled level with a Gareth McAuley header.

But a late penalty converted by Daniels, despite television replays showing Darren Fletcher's foul on Dan Gosling occurred outside the area, handed the Cherries all three points.

And Albion’s frustration boiled over in added time when Salomon Rondon was shown red for an altercation with Gosling.

It was not what Albion had wanted as the Club’s ‘kids for a quid’ offer helped attract the biggest home gate of the season on a notoriously poor day for football attendances in advance of the Christmas holidays.

McClean’s sending off came in the seconds after he felt he should have been awarded a free-kick himself following a Smith challenge.

But Albion hung on until the break and reshuffled at the interval, with Stephane Sessegnon replacing a flu-hit James Morrison.

They produced a huge effort which saw McAuley score from a Craig Gardner corner before the home side went agonisingly wide with another headed chance moments later.

Yet Bournemouth’s winner came from Fletcher's challenge on Gosling, Daniels with the winning spot-kick, leaving Albion going into the Christmas season handicapped by the suspensions that will now follow for two key players after Rondon joined McClean in being given his marching orders.